


Keith is not a cat

by Inuaika



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Galra Keith, Galra are basically space cats, I don’t know how to tag this is my first work, Krolia is a good mom, Lance stop teasing him, M/M, Pre-Season/Series 08, Transformation, Who knows how this will go, eventual Klance, i guess?, slight body horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 07:10:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17300099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inuaika/pseuds/Inuaika
Summary: Keith’s galra genes finally kick in leaving him upset and terrified of the others finding out. However, the others find it quite amusing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic since like 5 years ago when I wrote a fnaf fic on wattpad so I’m doing my best ahah. I’ve ran out of galra Keith fics to read so I made my own!I hope you enjoy

Keith’s panicked breath echoed in the all but empty room but luckily noone was there to hear it.Curled up in a ball on his bed, his eyes were tightly shut trying to shut the world out- it was happening again. He’d been noticing the small changes for a while now, ever since his fight with Shiro, and he could feel something else about to happen.

First it had been his teeth, his canines strangely sore and wobbly one day and gone the next. His tongue flicked in despair between the gummy holes wondering what on earth had happened. Thankfully, this had been at night and in the morning, sharp fangs had replaced them. They had taken a bit of getting used to, a lot of cut lips and tongues ensued, but he had effectively hidden them from the others. At first he had debated telling the others and had almost managed to talk to Coran before a sudden spike of anxiety prevented him from doing so. However, teeth weren’t too much of a problem- they weren’t too noticeable and didn’t cause problems in neither the castle or the battles. 

Then came the claws- these were a lot more painful. Even remembering the sensation made him feel sick to his stomach. After an intense training session, he removed his gloves to wipe the sweat from his hands when he realised his nails were becoming noticeable disfigured. Assuming it was from all of the fighting, as soon as he got back to his room, the nail clippers were whipped out and an attempt to remove the disfigured parts was made. A sickening crunch made Keith cringe as the clippers barely scraped the surface before spasming out of his hands and landing with a clink on the tiled floor of his bathroom. Keith watched with disgust and horror as they visibly grew into a tough claw. Blood trickled down the sides of his fingers, dripping steadily onto the floor like a metronome.  _Drip. Drip. Drip._ But he could do nothing but watch the gruesome scene, frozen with terror.

Slowly, he came back to his senses: still shaken but able to move again. After wiping the excess blood from his throbbing fingertips, he picked up the discarded clippers and stared at them for a painful minute before shoving them to the back of a drawer. These proved to be a bit more problematic than his first change. He had to begrudgingly learn to pick things up again like a teen wearing acrylics for the first time and constantly try not to scratch himself. And, of course, he started wearing his gloves all the time. 

This gained him a few funny looks from the other paladins but they were all used to his weird behaviour now- they didn’t question it. However they did grow more concerned about the time he was spending in his room and training alone. The growing paranoia about his strange body made him flinch under any of the questioning gazes shot his way any time a battle was over and he’d run off to his room to obsessively check the mirror. At this point, he had a relatively good guess at what was happening to him and it terrified him. 

Although the team worked with the Blade of Marmora and had accepted Keith even after finding out about his Galra genes, he was still anxious about what they would do if they found out about his predicament. Allura had barely refrained from attacking him. He feared even Krolia’s reaction. What if even she was horrified by his sudden change? He tried to shake the idea from his head. She of all people should understand him.

That brought him to today, another successful battle left him itching to speed back to his room to avoid the concern of the others. However, he didn’t make it in time. 

‘Hey Mullet, what’s that on your face?’

Keith’s head whipped round with a disapproving glare.

’You know full well what it is- it’s a scar,’ he retorted.

’Well I did think that until the second one appeared’

Panicked hands reached up to feel his face, stroking both cheeks in an attempt to locate the mark, however only a mirror would tell. 

‘Kinda looks like your mum’s’

The taller boy made an annoyed huff as the other resumed running until he reached his room and a door promptly slammed. Standing for a minute in confusion, he soon followed.

Keith once again burst through the door and hurried to his new best friend and worst enemy- the mirror. A second stripe,  identical to the first, had appeared on his cheek.  _Goddamnit._ There was no doubt now that what everyone else had assumed was a scar, was in fact a Galra marking. Great. Prying fingers marvelled at the smoothness of both marks. He supposed it didn’t look too bad. At least he matched with his mother. 

Adrenaline rushed through his body as he felt another change coming on. The burning white sensation started in his chest and crippled him as he fell to the floor with a cry. 

Lance, now also panicking outside at the strange cries, knocked frantically at the door. 

‘Keith if you don’t open this quiznaking door I swear I’m going to knock it down’

’Go’way’

‘We’re all just concerned for you- well especially me- and I want to know what’s going on’

’GO AWAY’

A few minutes passed in almost silence before a huff and fading footsteps alerted Keith to the fact that he’d finally given up and stormed off. So much for knocking the door down.

Suddenly another burst of blinding pain caused him to convulse on the floor, sharp claws digging into his arms as he hugged his knees. This was getting serious- someone needed to help him soon. After serious deliberation, Krolia was the person of choice and during a brief ease of pain, he managed to stand up. The world spun like he’d had a couple too many shots of vodka and he grabbed the wall to steady his jelly legs.

Krolia’s room wasn’t far away but it felt like forever as Keith half-walked, half-crawled. Long, shining tear tracks lined his face, highlighting his marks with a strange sheen and he was pretty sure he was frothing at the mouth. The debilitating pain had lessened to a heavy pulse but he knew in his gut that it would soon return.

Pressing on, he left deep gashes in the walls as he staggered, taking no notice at all to whether anyone saw him at this point. He just wanted his mum. A whimper of exasperation escaped his lips before he realised that he’d made it. He slumped against the door like a rag doll as it quickly opened to a rather startled looking Galra.

’Quiznak Keith are you okay?’

A mumble was all the response given. She rushed over, cradling her son in her arms, a frantic concern painted over her elegant features. 

Keith swam in and out of consciousness, vision blurring to the point of blindness before the warm arms of darkness embraced him. The last thing he saw was Krolia stroking his cheeks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith wakes up in the medical wing wondering what on (insert nearest planet) is going on along with everyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for Kitty Keith ;) Sorry if Krolia seems a little OOC I just love the idea of her being a caring mother

Harsh lights pried open his eyes to the strange interior of the healing pod. With a hiss and a dramatic burst of steam, Keith stumbled out into the open. 

‘H-how long was I in there for?’ He croaked. Quiznak, why did everything hurt so much? 

‘Only a quintant or so!’ A comfortingly familiar Coran piped up before rushing over to announce to the whole castle that Keith was out of the pod.

His features laced with confusion, what had happened to force him to use a healing pod? There hadn’t been another battle had there?

He was suddenly ambushed by a warm hug as Krolia squealed in delight that he was okay. She took his cheeks in her hands and squoze

’So cute!’

She quickly composed herself again. Keith stood utterly perplexed until he caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the healing pod.

Hyperventilating, he surveyed his strange reflection. Wide yellow eyes stared back at him, thankfully still retaining their iris, and the markings on his cheeks were more visible than ever. Purple fur covered the entirety of his body (or so he assumed) and his claws and teeth still remained. A grimace involuntarily spread through his features and he felt something move on top of his head. Reluctantly glancing upwards, he spied two large fluffy ears flattened to his head in disgust. *sigh* Naively, he hoped that to be the extent of the changes. Almost   assured he was finished, a sneaky flash of purple behind him caused him to spin around. This was the worst. He had a tail. The long bundle of purple fluff swayed in annoyance before once again resuming the terror from before the healing pod.

’I was so worried when Krolia carried you here passed out but it seems you have stablilised now’ 

Keith could do nothing but gape at the orange haired man, speechless. Finally he mustered enough voice

’W-why did this happen?!’

’We don’t exactly know ye-‘

’How can I change back?!’

His questions became more and more frantic until Krolia pulled him in for a soft hug, silencing him.

’We don’t know exactly why this happened - stress was probably the trigger- but by the looks of it, it’s been happening for a while.’ Coran gave him a questioning look. ‘If you could lie down on the table here so we can do some more tests please.’  Keith extracted himself from the hug and lay down when Coran was indicating.

’Why didn’t you tell anyone? I could have given you some medication for the pain.’

’I-I was scared’ He started to reply but choked on his own voice as he realised he still had to face the others. The two aliens looked at him expectantly as if he was going to elaborate his answer when

-WHAM-

Two paladins burst into the medical wing: one short with glasses and the other tall and tanned. 

‘Hunk’s just finishing up cooking then he’ll be right h-‘ Pidge started before she saw the strange spectacle in front of her. Sparing no glances to the older two, she ran up to the table with the expression of a kid in a candy store

’WoAh Keith! This is amazing!’ She turned quickly to Coran, ‘How in the name of science did this happen?!’

They quickly lapsed into some science talk, each seemingly elated and intrigued by this. 

Lance, on the other hand, was a bit more hesitant. He peered cautiously from a distance before edging closer. Recognising that the two scientists were too distracted to do the tests yet, Keith sat up feeling every foreign muscle and limb move.

’Hey buddy.....are you feeling any better?’

The other paladin’s voice seemed just as shaky as his, Keith mused. He let out a sigh.

’Do I  _look_ any better?’

A weak chuckle.

’Who is this joker and where did the real Keith go?’

At this, his ears drooped and a sad puppy expression flitted across his face. The movements felt strange and his frown deepened.

’No! I mean- I didn’t mean it in that way you just don’t really joke around a lot you know?’

Before any more damage could be done, the loudest shriek was emitted from the green paladin. 

‘Lance. LANCE! Come here!’

The red and blue paladins glanced at each other before the latter joined Pidge at the end of the bed.

’HE HAS TOE BEANS!’

’W-what?’

Keith shot her a worried glance and even Krolia and Coran stopped what they were doing to look inquisitively at Pidge.

’You know... the little pads like a cat. Toe beans!’ She supplied as Lance also looked in awe at his Keith’s toes. The previous hesitance and cautiousness had been brushed aside. A dark blush swept his face as they prodded them.

’D-don’t touch them; it tickles.’ He glared at the two while pulling his knees tight to his chest. The tail, with a mind of its own, also wrapped around his knees. The goddamn tail.

’OH MY GOD HE HAS A TAIL’

Keith sighed in defeat as he flopped against the table. He was mildly amused that Pidge found this much excitement in him and frankly relieved that no one had come at him with a pitch fork yet.

Hunk decided at this point to enter the enter the room carrying a armful of food. 

‘Who’s hungry?’ He shouted before quietening upon noticing Keith. Before Keith could react in any way, a sly grin spread across the other’s face. 

‘I called it!’

’What?’

’The purple fur...though I didn’t realise you’d go full cat.’ 

‘Cat?!’

’Well you do kind of look like a big purple cat.’

Everyone hummed in agreement except for Keith who buried his head in his hands, annoyed.

’I am NOT a cat!’

The tail and ears moved with his exclaimation and Pidge once again started fangirling.  

‘Speaking of looking like a cat,’ Pidge started,’ How come Keith looks like this when Krolia doesn’t have these features?’

’Hmm. Well I take a lot after my mother but my father had a lot of the same ... features... like Keith.’ Krolia explained, ‘You know, I was always hoping for a fluffy little kit.’

Pidge seemed to accept this and moved back onto fussing about him. 

Although the other paladin’s reactions had been positive, if not annoying, sitting there munching Hunk’s food, he couldn’t help but wonder where Shiro and Allura were. He expected this much from Allura but he hoped so badly that his big brother wouldn’t hate him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys! The next chapter will be out soon

**Author's Note:**

> There will be more chapters I know how to add them but it still says 1/1 for some reason
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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